


Perfect Getaway

by OriginalPomegranate



Category: Better Call Saul (TV), Breaking Bad
Genre: Angst, Corporate Espionage, Drugs, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Light Angst, Smut, Unhealthy Relationships, might add some more as story continues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:54:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 20,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalPomegranate/pseuds/OriginalPomegranate
Summary: Eventual Nacho Varga x Female OC fic in the context of Better Call Saul. I don't know yet how close I'm going to stick to the show's events, might tweak some things here and there just to fit the story a little better.OC is in an established relationship with Tuco Salamanca but things have been going downhill lately. Nacho has been in business with Tuco for a while and witnessed first-hand the shit she has to put up with. They get closer to each other and things start to get dangerous and confusing from there.I hope you like my idea! I just wanted to do my part and give a lil' Nacho love to y'all out there. I think updates will come every few days depending on my mood and how I like the progression of the story.





	1. Joyride

“I don’t know why he still keeps me around”,

“He cares about you”,

“He hasn’t cared about me in a long time”

Jess said calmly. She didn’t get emotional, just stated some facts about her relationship with Tuco to one of his underlings,

“He hasn’t said anything yet but I can see it when he looks at me. There’s nothing. Or at least nothing that was there before. We don’t talk. And he used to tell me everything. Like he does with you and the other guy”,

“Arturo”

Ignacio reminded her, calmly steering the car along the highway,

“Whatever, he’s a creep”

He had to purse his lips when she said that, since it was reaction that Arturo often inspired in people,

“Anyway… it’s been like that for a while now. We just fight. He’s obviously got some crack whores on the side, I’m not blind. He doesn’t find me attractive anymore, I’m probably getting fat” 

She shook her head at that like she couldn’t even believe what she was saying herself. Ignacio was quiet for a while. Contemplated whether he should get involved in this lover’s spat, since she was his boss’s girl and things could go down real fast from here. He hadn’t worked with Tuco for long, so he needed to be careful with what he said but he always liked Jess, she was funny and she could always calm Tuco down quickly when he acted crazy,

“I think you look good”

He finally said and shrugged like it was no big deal,

“You’re not fat, you’re curvy. All the right places, you know? It’s sexy”

He didn’t look at her while he said it, it was more like he was saying it to himself but she didn’t mind,

“You think so?”  
She asked him, raising her eyebrow curiously. He didn’t answer, he just turned on the radio and stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel with both hands and concentrated on getting her where she told him to take her earlier,

“You know what, I like you” 

Jess said suddenly, 

“I usually don’t care about the dickbags he lets in on his business. You seem different”

Ignacio raised his brows and smiled,

“Different?”

He asked her and she smiled, 

“Yes. Different. What’s your name again? I stopped memorizing them after Tuco replaced the first 8 lackeys” 

He laughed out loud and she liked the sound of it,

“It’s Ignacio”

He answered finally and she nodded, 

“Ignacio. I like it”,

“Glad you approve”

He said and turned left at the next traffic light,

“But it’s too long”

Jess said as he pulled into the parking lot of the local library,

“Too long?”

He asked and took the key out of the ignition,

“You’re Nacho now”,

A small smiled played on her lips as she graced him with her newly decided nickname for him, 

“Nacho?”

He asked, the corner of his mouth turning upwards in amusement,

“That’s a little racist, don’t you think?”

He was trying to mess with her but she just smiled at him and got out of the car,

“Come, Nacho. You can carry all the books I pick out”

And he did. 

_______________

That was how it all started.


	2. Bitch better have my Money

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another day in the life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not sure about my interpretation of Tuco's character... I'm gonna be trying my best to capture him.

3 years later the nickname still stuck and it had spread to everyone involved with him. Nacho didn’t mind. Jess gave it to him. She never gave a nickname to anyone else, not even Tuco as far as he knew.   
They had become friends in the years since the day he took her to the library and carried her books like a teenage boy with a stupid crush.

Today he was due to have another sit-in at the diner with Tuco, because it was time to collect the profits, like every week.  
He arrived a few minutes early and found the place empty except for the owner behind the counter in the kitchen. He saw him come in and immediately went back to frying and cooking some things.   
Nacho got set up at the usual table facing the door and put the bag on the floor while quiet Latin music played in the background.   
He had a feeling everything would go smoothly today. They’d all bring the right amount of money, Tuco wouldn’t have to throw a fit and he’d be able to leave on time, maybe squeeze in a workout before meeting Jess tonight.  
Well, not technically meet Jess, but taking her to the library like he had done every week in the past years. Since the first time Tuco sent him with her, because he had some urgent business to take care of with some of the other boys, Nacho had come to enjoy the visits to the library with Jess. He knew she wasn’t only Tuco’s accessory, trophy wife if you will, she had her own business to take care of. He didn’t know much about it though, just that she was into weapons. All kinds of them apparently, but mostly everything relating to archery. They had talked about it a little during the rides he gave her. They didn’t talk anymore in the library halls. It was rude to distract the other people.  
He wondered if she would ever show him some of the merchandise, she had stored in the basement of her and Tuco’s place, if he asked.   
The little bell on the door of the diner dinged and signalled Tuco’s arrival and pulled Nacho from his thoughts.   
He took off his sunglasses and walked over,

“Tuco” 

Nacho greeted him and Tuco nodded in return then sat down next to him. He looked a little worse for wear with dark circles under his eyes,

“Rough night?”

He asked Tuco and he just looked at him, brows raised,

“That obvious?” 

Both men smiled,

“You’re getting old”

Nacho joked and Tuco laughed,

“Not too old, yet”

A few seconds later their first associate walked in through the door and greeted them both by name, then sat down and handed over his earnings of the last week. Tuco worked him a little, scaring him with some questions and his usual staring-contest while Nacho counted the money, before he smiled and shook his hand and the guy left again. Nacho put the counted money in the duffle on the floor,

“So, what did you do? Get fucked up with Arturo and the new stuff?”

Nacho asked and leant back in his chair and Tuco squinted his eyes at him,

“Arturo knows how to appreciate a good time”

Tuco answered, 

“Unlike you” 

He added and emphasized his point with a finger pointed at Nacho, who jut scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest,

“You need to keep a clear head for business”

Nacho said, stepping a little out of line even though technically Tuco was his boss. They had more of a partnership going on than an employer – employee relationship, since Nacho had proven himself to be a valuable asset in terms of advice and caution. Thus, Tuco had started to listen to him more and more. Also, Tuco wasn’t the brightest bulb on the chandelier and manipulating him wasn’t all that difficult sometimes,

“You are my clear head, amigo”

Tuco said, still pointing at Nacho and making the words weigh heavy on him.  
If only Tuco knew what Nacho really wanted out of life he wouldn’t trust him with his business. The Salamancas would have long since disposed of him.   
The door opened again and another one of the dealers entered.


	3. Nightfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3

Jess never felt too comfortable in the kitchen. The colours somehow weren’t right, the wood didn’t really fit with the ambience and the fridge was way too big. She didn’t have any hand in picking it and decorating it. It was Tuco’s space and Tuco’s space only. Even though their communication in most areas of their relationship had reduced to a minimum he still cooked for the both of them most nights of the week. Sometimes his boys joined them, especially on Taco night. Jess never could master the art of cooking, so she left it to him and he has never disappointed in that department. Tonight, he wouldn’t be home until the early hours of the morning, Jess guessed. It was usually like that on payday. He’d sent a poor guy over to keep her company while really, he just wanted eyes on her. That poor guy turned out to be Nacho most of the time now, since Tuco trusted him the most out of all of them. Sometimes it would be Arturo, but that was rare because Jess had made it abundantly clear that she did not want him around more than necessary.   
Tonight, she knew what the plan was: wait for Nacho’s text message, get ready, go outside, drive to the library and enjoy the silence and his company.   
Even though he started out as one of Tuco’s goons, he grew on her. The rides to the library sure helped because Tuco never accompanied her there ever. She wondered whether Nacho enjoyed it as much as she did or whether he did it out of obligation.  
It was a few minutes after 5 pm and she knew he usually came around 7 so she decided she could already take a shower and be ready when he arrived and not make him wait.   
She shouldn’t be as excited for this as she was but she knew Tuco didn’t restrain himself around other women, so why shouldn’t she enjoy another man’s company and attention? Nacho was handsome and smart, sometimes funny and there was definitely more to him than meets the eye.   
She went upstairs to the bedroom and started packing her purse with the most important stuff: wallet, chap stick, reading glasses and a clip-on reading-lamp. She paid the library employees money to let her in after they closed and spend as much time there as she wants. She took the lamp with her because she preferred to curl up on one of the sofas and read with all the big lights out. It was a little creepy at times but mostly very therapeutic.   
She showered after she was finished with packing and took a minute longer in the bathroom to make sure she put her face on right. She never wore too much make up but on library-days, she took her time to apply that extra little bit of lipstick.  
She used to do it for Tuco, too but that was a long time ago.  
After she was done, she took the bag and went downstairs.  
Her phone screen lit up and showed an incoming message from Nacho:  
On my way  
To the point as always, she thought and packed the phone as well and headed out the front door to wait in the driveway. The evening sun felt nice and warm on her skin and she closed her eyes for a moment until she heard a car approach a few minutes later.   
Nacho stopped the car right in front of her and got out,

“Nacho”

Jess smiled while she said it and he smiled, too. 

“Jess” 

Nacho walked around the car and opened the door for her to get inside. Before he closed it he made sure not to catch the seam of her long dress between the door and the car,

“Hope I’m not late”

He casually remarked as he got inside as well and shut the door and put the key in the ignition,

“You’re right on time. As Always” 

Jess reassured him and he started the car and drove off.


	4. A Dance in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picks up right after the last one.  
> Jess and Nacho get a little closer maybe.  
> In the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little longer.  
> hope u like <3

“How did it go today?”,

“You mean with Tuco?”,

“Yeah”

“Fine. No one got hurt if that’s what you mean”,

Jess chuckled at Nacho’s answer. She guessed that would be what she meant. Nowadays a fly getting to close to his food could make him explode.

“How is Domingo?”,

“Doing fine so far. Tuco trusts him”,

“He’s a good kid”

She said and looked out of the window into the endless landscape and for a few minutes a comfortable silence settled in the car. Jess looked at Nacho and studied his features in the fading red sunlight,

“What?”

He asked and quickly glanced at her, then back at the road,

“Nothing”

She grinned to herself,

“Have you thought about a book you’d like to read tonight?”

She asked him then and he looked at her again,  
“Haven’t had the time, yet. What can you recommend?”,

“That depends on what you like”,

Nacho wasn’t big on reading most of the time. He’d had some favourites when he was younger but he quickly lost the time for things like reading with the direction his life was headed,

“I’m not sure”,

“Maybe something like a thriller? Crime? A romcom maybe?”

Jess joked and he chuckled,

“Sure, why not”,

“Or maybe something a little steamy?”

Nacho rolled his eyes and smiled, 

“You think porn is my thing?”

Jess shrugged and grinned,

“Porn is every guy’s thing, isn’t it?”

“Surprise me. You’re the one who’s read every single thing in there, so find me something you think fits”

 

When they arrived, the library was already closed and dark inside. Jess walked in front of Nacho and pulled a key from her purse then unlocked the big front doors. She took a few steps forward and Nacho saw her silhouette, illuminated by the green light the exit signs radiated. She walked to the front desk and he heard a few clicks, then some of the more dimmed wall lights turned on,

“Come on in, don’t be shy”

She walked back to him and grabbed his hand to pull him forward. Even though this was a public space, Jess felt more at home here than in her actual home. No one here had ever complained when she read hours at a time, when she felt more in love with fictional world thane real world, no one here had ever told her to stop dreaming and come back to the real world.  
Nacho immediately felt her demeanor change. He let her pull him through the different sections and listened to every summary and recommendation she gave him. He loved every second of it, watching her be so passionate about something. In the end he found himself sifting through a scientific journal about some different frog species. Not what he ever pictured himself reading but he’d give it a try.  
Jess had settled on a sofa in the corner a few feet away and stretched her legs over the entirety of it. She had one book already in her hands and two more were tucked into her side so they wouldn’t fall on the ground.  
Nacho noticed that one of the straps if her dress had slipped down her arm,

“You can sit with me. You don’t have to stand there like a lost puppy”

Jess said and Nacho could the smile in her voice. He walked over to the sofa and she pulled her legs up so he could sit. He got comfortable and before he could say anything, Jess had stretched her legs across his lap. He’s never been this cosy with her before and it makes him a little nervous. Simply for the reason, that his boss might kill him if he did. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be close to her. Her feet were very small, like she was in general and her toenails had polish on them,

“I like this colour. It suits you”

He said and she smiled at him, 

“Thanks, I just did it this morning”

As she moved her feet, her dress moved around on her legs and exposed a little more of her thighs through the slit on the side. He had seen her in less clothing before when Tuco had his boys over at the house and they took advantage of the pool. He definitely liked what he saw back then; that bikini did nothing to hide her curves and it had been as hard not to reach out and touch her soft skin as it was now. Only now, no one was watching.  
All the other women that came with the job description never caught his attention like she did. Without thinking, he put the frog-magazine down on the table next to the sofa and Jess looked up,

“Don’t like the frogs?”

She asked him, grinning behind her book,

“Not really, no”

Nacho answered and leaned over to take Jess’s book from her hands as well,

“Hey!” 

She protested but he put it down on the table next to him. He decided that she could use some other way to spend her evening. He got up,

“Do you really wanna do this all night?”

He asked her, brows raised and a small smile on his face. Jess shrugged and looked at him like she was expecting a more elaborate answer,

“I think you need something else to take your mind off things”,

“Like what?”,

“Tuco used to take you dancing a lot, no? How about we find a nice place and you have some fun?”

Jess was dumbstruck by what he just said. She really used to have a lot more fun than this, didn’t she? She fondly remembered the long nights spent at various clubs and bars when times weren’t so dangerous and more carefree for her,

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

Nacho ran a hand over his face, 

“Crossed a line, didn’t I?”

He chuckled awkwardly. He shouldn’t feel the need to show her a good time. He was only supposed to accompany her sometimes and make sure she was safe. She doesn’t say anything at first and he stands in front of her awkwardly shifting on his feet but then she gets up as well,

“Alright”

She says and picks her bag up from the floor,

“Let’s go have some fun”


	5. A Dance in the Dark 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A litte longer one again, in which things get a little more intimate.  
> Picks up right after the last one.

And they did have fun. Nacho took her to a few bars and they had some drinks. He made her laugh a few times and it felt good. It felt even better when they were dancing; their bodies close to each other and his hands on her hips when he tried to teach her some moves but she just awkwardly shuffled away, trying not to embarrass herself. It almost felt like they weren’t both involved with one of the most dangerous families in the Mexican Cartel and like their obligations didn’t exist for a few hours.  
Jess felt incredibly light around Nacho. There was no other word for it. She felt like everything was so easy and relaxed, even if it was just a ride in a car together.  
When they left the last place, it was 4 am. The parking lot was almost empty, save for Nacho’s car and a few others. They didn’t immediately make their way to the car but finished their beers first, leaning against the hood of it, listening to the music that came from the building. Nacho had probably had 2-3 beers, since he was driving but Jess was a little tipsy,

“You know, I’ve never danced like that before”

Jess mumbled with a grin while holding the bottle to her lips. Nacho chuckled and looked at the ground, 

“And you didn’t do it now” 

He tried to hide his smile while Jess looked at him with her brows raised and faked offence, 

“Excuse me? I’ll have you know I’m very capable of doing it. I’m just a little rusty”

She took a sip from her beer, knowing that was nowhere near the truth. She could dance, just not very sexy or sensual or whatever it was people called that stuff where they almost fucked on the dancefloor,

“Sure” 

Nacho said and Jess playfully shoved his shoulder,

“like you said before, Tuco took me dancing a lot”  
She started to explain but stopped for a second, looking like she wasn’t sure she should continue her story,

“But you know… it was different. Yeah, let’s say different.”,

“Different how?”,

Nacho was intrigued, 

“It was nothing like this. I know you’d expect that because he’s Mexican as well but…”

She stopped and closed her eyes and pursed her lips, hiding a smile, 

“And don’t ever tell him I told you”

She pointed at him and he raised his hands,

“Promise”

He said,

“He is actually very much into classical stuff… the waltz and all that, you know?”

She could see the gears in Nacho’s head grinding and working to process the information, 

“Are you saying Tuco knows how to dance all fancy?” 

Nacho couldn’t hide the grin that was forming on his lips and Jess just nodded, 

“That’s priceless”  
Nacho said and took a sip of his beer,

“Not only that, of course, but it was what we both enjoyed, you know? But still he was different. He’s like… a force of nature. Strong and big and he moves like it. It's like trying to make a mountain understand what water moves like” 

She further explained and moved her hands to emphasise her point,

“Ok”

Nacho listened,

“You’re the water in this scenario”

Jess looked at him, hoping he could understand,

“How so?”

He asked, wanting her to be a little more precise,

“Well… I mean you can do all that stuff with your hips and it’s like…” 

She made wavy movements with her hands laughed awkwardly, hoping that would do as an explanation. Nacho grinned and put down his empty bottle, 

“So, you like how I move when I dance?” 

He suddenly felt very cocky and wanted to make her blush a little, 

“I didn’t say that” 

She tried to evade,  
“But that’s what it sounds like to me”,

“It’s… well… I guess I do, you happy?"

She grinned and put her bottle down as well,

“Very”

He said triumphant, 

“So, if you like it, why didn’t you let me show you in there?” 

He asked, nodding his head towards the club and she suddenly felt a little nervous, 

“I uhm…I don’t’ know I just… it felt very…”

She wildly gesticulated with her hands and ran them through her hair, 

“Intimate” 

She finally said and looked at him with a hint of shame in her eyes. He didn’t say anything back, 

“But maybe that was just the alcohol and the heat and the people pushing on me from each side, I don’t know”

She quickly tried to lighten the sudden seriousness of the situation. She definitely wanted to dance a little closer with him, maybe try that thing with her hips, who knows? But it wasn’t possible at the moment. Nacho understood but felt a little stung at the negation of his offer. He unlocked the car and without any further talking they got in the car.  
A little while later, still in the Car Nacho remembered that thing he promised his dad he’d do tonight, which he’d completely forgotten because of Jess,

“Oh shit!”

It escaped him too quick to hold back, 

“What is it?”

Jess asked, obviously having heard it but Nacho tried to play it down,

“Sorry, it’s nothing, I just remembered I was gonna get something done for…”

He stopped himself before he revealed too much. He knew it was Jess he was talking to, but he promised himself to keep his father out of this world he was caught up in, 

“Not important, forget it” 

He said and smiled at Jess. He was determined to not bring it up again but,

“Actually… would you mind if we take a little detour?”

It was important since the client he was supposed to get it done for would swing by tomorrow,

“No, I don’t mind. What kind of detour?”

To hell with his doubts. If anyone, he could trust Jess with this, 

“I need to stop by my dad’s workshop and get something done real quick, it won’t take long I promise”,

“Your dad? I didn’t know…”,

“That I had a dad?”

He asked, teasing her and making her grin, 

“That your dad works here, I mean. Isn’t he also…?”,

“Involved with the Salamancas? No, he doesn’t know anything about that”

Nacho pulled into the driveway of his father’s shop and got out of the car. By now it was almost 5,

“You can wait in the car. I’ll only be a few minutes”

Nacho said but Jess was already walking towards the entrance. He followed and quickly unlocked the door.  
Inside, Jess curiously looked around a bit and walked through the small reception are to the back while Nacho got everything he needed from the storage space.  
He carried the materials into the working area and sat down at one of the sewing machines, ready to get to work on that new cover for the seat.  
He didn’t see Jess for a few minutes but she eventually came back and sat on the edge of the table he was working at and watched him.  
He shifted the different fabrics around on the table and sewed them all together with precise movements of his hands and fingers. Jess was impressed and intrigued. She suspected he had a business or some jobs on the side but she never suspected it to be in a family business of the honest and legal kind, 

“Next time I rip my jeans, I know who to call”

She joked and crossed her legs. Nacho chuckled and nodded, while he was still focused on the machine and making sure no seams or loose threads poked through, 

“Jeans, shirts, jackets, whatever you rip, I’m your man” 

He said and Jess laughed, 

“And what if it’s my favourite bra?” 

Nacho almost sewed his finger into the fabric at her remark, 

“Uhh… I’ve never tried to fix one of those”

He said, feeling a little exposed and not sure how to react. She said she felt the dancing was too intimate but joking about her underwear was still inside the comfort zone?

“Relax, I’m joking”

She leaned in a little closer and smiled. He shook his head, hiding his smile and went back to working on the seat cover until they were finished and he hung them up to be placed inside the car tomorrow. All the while Jess had found an old radio in the corner and turned it on to create some background noise that wasn’t the whirring of the sewing machine. She felt a little more comfortable now that the effect of the alcohol had worn off and she had seen this completely different side of Nacho. For a short time, he didn’t look like he was the right-hand man of a powerful Cartel member and all the things she had seen or not seen him do, seemed to be non-existent. He was just a young man finishing a task that his father gave him, at the last minute like most people would do. He said his father wasn’t involved with his second life and he didn’t know about it and Jess couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Nacho’s priorities would change in the foreseeable future,

“So, this is what you do when Tuco doesn’t send you around collecting debts and making sure business runs smooth?”  
She asked him, leaning against a locker next to the radio,

“This, or I chauffeur you around”

He smiled and rubbed the visible stubble on his chin,

“And you still have time for dance lessons between the sewing and driving me around?” 

Jess liked teasing him. He chuckled and crossed his arms in front of his chest, 

“I was a teenager once, you know? I had a life and girls I needed to impress somehow”,

“Nacho, the swinger of hips and lover of women” 

They both laughed at that, 

“That’s one way to put it” 

He said and Jess pushed herself off the locker, 

“Alright, I’m ready now. Show me what moves you got”

She tied her hair up into a bun and looked at him with new-found confidence, 

“Now?”

He asked surprised and she nodded, 

“Yes, now”

She turned up the radio and closed the distance between them, 

“Did you have another drink while I wasn’t looking?” 

He joked but she just took his hands in hers and placed them on her hips, 

“No” 

Nacho swallowed hard,

“Ok” 

His voice faltered a little but he took the lead and slowly started moving her hips with his hands to the music,

“Like this, kind of”,

“I’m stiff as a board, I know. It’s the ghost of classical dance haunting me” 

He smiled and took her hands to twirl her around so she was standing with her back to him, 

“You’re not, it’s fine, you’re doing great” 

He thought it would be easier to do this if she couldn’t see the blush on his face. She was doing more than great actually. So good that he tried not to let his crotch get too close to her ass, 

“Now go like this…”

He still held her hands and slowly pulled them over her head so she could place them around his neck. He put his hands back on her hips and swayed her from side to side. Jess could feel his stubble graze her cheek and her body tingled all over. She had been right to say it felt intimate before at the club, but now? This was way more than that.  
Both of them were too caught up to notice the man who was standing in the dark reception area, watching them through the open door to the workroom.


	6. Homebound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a lil' shorter again. It's a bit awkward but not that bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to try and use Spanish in the beginning but I do't remember anything from my lessons, so... yeah. I din't want to use google translate 'cause that felt like cheating. 
> 
> enjoy anyway <3

“Maybe next time I can teach you some classical dance moves” 

Jess joked after she turned off the radio and she and Nacho brought some distance between the two of them, 

“Next time?” 

Nacho knew the moment he uttered the words, that they were too daring and he gave himself an imaginary slap in the face. She probably just said it to make some conversation, not to actually imply they would do something like this again. Jess looked at him curiously but didn’t say anything at first. When she opened her mouth to speak again a loud metallic ‘clink’ in the back made them both flinch and listen up. They turned around and an older man with a proud mustache stood in the doorway looking down at the screwdriver he accidentally dropped on the floor,

“Papa, what are you doing here? It’s so early”

Nacho suddenly asked in Spanish and the older man laughed awkwardly and opened his arms, 

“I’m sorry, son. There is some work I have to finish. Is this her?”

Nacho’s father answered hastily in Spanish, gesturing an apology for the sudden entry, then pointing at Jess and smiling. Nacho looked a little uncomfortable and rubbed forehead,

“Sí, papa…” 

He said and his father came closer. Jess was smiling brightly, 

“This is your dad?”

She asked and looked between them and Nacho nodded. His father made some encouraging gestures, 

“Introduce me!”

He said with a heavy accent and Nacho sighed, 

“Papa, this is Jess, Jess this is my dad Manuel” 

Jess and Manuel enthusiastically shook hands, 

“Nice to meet you, Sir”

Jess said and Manuel nodded and smiled, 

“Tell her it’s nice to meet her! You told me so much about her”

Manuel said to Nacho and he told Jess, who held back the knowledge that, of course she spoke some Spanish, having been in a relationship with a Mexican guy for years. Nacho probably never heard her speak it, though,

“Did you offer her anything to drink? Does she want anything? Let me go get something”   
Manuel rambled and immediately made off to a back room to get Jess a soda, 

“He seems so nice, but what is he doing here? Does he always start work so early?” 

Jess said to Nacho and he chuckled, 

“Uhh no usually a few hours later, not at 5 in the morning” 

He looked at the ground, feeling a little embarrassed, 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know he’d be here”,

“Don’t apologize”

Jess said and put a hand on his arm, 

“I’m happy I’m meeting him” 

Manuel returned and put a soda in her hands. He seems happy and enthusiastic but also a little lost, 

“Papa, I’m sorry but we have to go now” 

Nacho said and hi dad held up his hands in defense, 

“Sure, you kids go, I don’t want to keep you”

Then he smiled and took Jess’ hand again, 

“Very nice to meet you” 

he said to her in English and she smiled back before Nacho gently pulled her out of the workshop by her hand and led her back to the car. A short awkward silence ensured between the two as they settled back into the car but it was interrupted when Jess’ phone vibrated in her purse. She rolled her eyes when she looked at it, 

“Hello?”

She said when she picked up the call,

“Out”

She said and huffed, probably at an answer she didn’t like,

“What do you care? I didn’t ask you why you stayed out all night, did I?”

Her voice was calm but she seemed tense, 

“Yeah I’ll be home eventually” 

Were her last words before she hung up the phone. She breathed in deep and looked at Nacho, 

“Tuco” 

She answered his silent question and he remembered that he probably should have checked his phone. Shit, 

“We’d best get you home then, no?”

He said and wanted to start the car, 

“Wait” 

Jess said and took his hand to stop him and looked at him, 

“Nacho… I get the feeling that this…”

She gestures her hands around at the shop of his father, 

“… Is what you really want, isn’t it?”

Nacho said nothing, just looked at her hand still holding his, then she asked him about what he had been trying to keep secret from everyone,

“You want out, don’t you?”


	7. Let's Talk Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serious talk going on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

Nacho said, knowing it was a thing to reply,

“You do and so do I now, too” 

Jess slightly turned on the car seat, 

“You know, I’ve never seen you so at ease like you were in these past few hours, certainly not when the others are around”

She paused for a second, 

“I um… You know I have my own little business to take care of, right?” 

Nacho nodded, not knowing where this conversation was going,

“Well, some of my uhh… business associates have reported to me that one of Tuco’s guys has been seen around, talking to people, making deals. I was suspicious of Arturo first of course, that sleazebag won’t ever not make me suspicious but it’s you, am I right?”

Her voice was calm and careful, she didn’t want to make him think this was a threat of any kind, 

“What makes you think that?” 

Nacho said, careful to hide the surprise in is voice and on his face. Jess reached for his hand and squeezed it lightly, 

“I’m not saying this to scare you or threaten you, nothing like that. I’ve kept it all to myself, don’t worry”,

“Why tell me? You want something from me in return?”,

“I want nothing but the truth” 

She looked at him, her face set in a serious expression, 

“Because if it’s you who’s been grinding some gears and making some money on the side to… I don’t know let’s say make it easier to provide safe passage for himself and one other person…”

Nacho listened up at her words, she was definitely talking about him and his dad. She says it’s not a threat but how could he believe that the way she just brought it up? How could he own up to any of it, when it’s not just his life on the line? How should he handle this now, because he knows he would never find the strength in him to silence her, even if it meant she told anyone, How could he…

“Because if that’s what’s happening here, then I can help”

His eyes shot up and he looked at her. She still held his hand and didn’t say anything else. Nacho swallowed. This must be some kind of fucked up way to get him to confess that he wants out, it must be, 

“I want to help you, Nacho”

Jess said again but Nacho didn’t really believe her. This is what this life’s done to him, he can’t trust anyone.  
He doesn’t react to what she said, instead just starting the car and driving off. She also doesn’t say anything else because she knows she needs more than words to convince him of her intentions. She lets him drive her home and they don’t even say goodbye that night. Well, morning really.  
When she steps into the bedroom to find Tuco already fast asleep, she decides she’s not tired anymore, instead she takes a shower and spends the rest of the night in the basement where she usually tests her products and presents them to clients. Being around these inanimate objects, knowing she has complete control over all them, it calms her somehow.


	8. Cocktailparty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Jess alone time, no Nacho in this one. A little bit of smut (just a teeny tiny bit).

Roughly two weeks have passed since that night and Jess hasn’t seen Nacho since then. Whether Tuco has him working a lot or he has something else going on, she doesn’t know. She tells herself it doesn’t matter, even though she clearly wishes he would take her up on her offer. She knows who he’s been talking to and that he got himself into trouble with the police not long ago. An old friend who she’s known since her time with the force kept her in the loop because he was the one who crossed Nacho’s path a few times. Recently he’s been into some shady dealing himself. It was of no concern though, since he definitely knew how to handle it and cover his tracks while uncovering others. Mike was trustworthy. He was a lot older than her but they got along nonetheless. They had reestablished contact when a fellow business contact of hers referred her to him and she sold him a rifle that was sturdy and reliable like he was. He didn’t say why and she didn’t ask.  
Today, she’s entertaining some potential clients at the house. Cocktails, some nice music and a few rounds at the shooting range and after a few hours they exchange payment and delivery details. She’s made a name for herself in the industry it seems. Of course, she never reveals her real name to any of the clients or associates. To them she is Artemis, after the Greek goddess of the hunt and many more things. It wouldn’t be especially beneficial for business of her clients knew of her past as a cop.  
Later in the evening, after they all have left, she gets a call that could potentially change the way she would handle things with Nacho because it only left a very short window of time available to get him to trust her again and give him the opportunity and the time to leave quietly and peacefully.  
The call she gets turns out to be from Hector Salamanca, Tuco’s uncle, whom she has never liked. A cruel and vulgar man, not worthy of all the respect he is given. He tells her he needs her to come to Mexico and supply his branch of command in the Juárez Cartel with a few new playthings. They talk for a while and she lets him explain what he’s looking for and tells him in return what she will be able to provide and that can come next week and stay for as long as needed. He tells her ‘Tuco did well with you’ and ‘You’re part of the family’ but she knows she’s only in his good graces as long as the business is running smoothly.  
Halfway during the conversation, she hears Tuco come home and walks through the house to greet him and tell him Hector’s on the phone. He doesn’t look too good, tired and like he’s coming down from a high. He pulls her to him and gives her a kiss on the cheek, saying ‘hola tío’ into the phone next to her ear. Since she’s basically done talking to Hector about business, she hands the phone over to Tuco and leaves him to call it a night.  
She finds it difficult to sleep, though, because Tuco’s loud voice is echoing from downstairs and she feels more and more annoyed. When he finally comes upstairs, he puts the phone on her nightstand and falls onto the other side of the bed. He pulls her close and she can smell another woman on him,

“How did the night go? Did you make the people happy?” 

He asks, playing with her long hair and the strap of her bra,

“It went well, they’re going to leave a big pile of money here next time”

She answers and hears him grunt in approval,

“So, you going to see tío next week?” 

He asks and she just nods,

“Stay away from Marco. I don’t like how he looks at you”,

“I know”

She says but doesn’t really care. She knew Marco and Leonel were the most effective Weapon the Cartel had and their kill count probably matched her whole playthrough of any Call of Duty game. She blocked it out because they’ve always been nice to her. Not very talkative these boys but sometimes she can get Marco to smile and that means no one dies that day. She’s more afraid of Don Hector than them,  
Tuco was going to say something else but she needed him to shut up, so she sat up before he could open his mouth and moved to sit on top of him, her legs on either side of his thighs. She knew how to shut him up for a while and he immediately responded, putting his hands on her waist and gripping tight. She didn’t waste any time, pulling his pants down, adjusting her panties and moving them to the side. Just like that she sank down onto him and moved her hips in a way that had them both moaning quickly. She was pent up; had been for a while and now she could get two birds with one stone. It was good that the lights were off in the room because it wasn’t Tuco she wanted to see under her.


	9. Old friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some light scheming happening in this one. Also Jess is taking a trip!

Tuco asked him to do this so there was no way around it. He had to take Jess to the airport so she could catch her flight to Mexico. He’d thought about seeing her again after the night in his father’s shop and he knew that he needn’t have acted the way he did. He had known then, too he just felt put in a corner. Jess was his only real friend in the business and she would do well to remember that. He was unsure however, as to the nature of her offer of help. He knew what his plan entailed and it wasn’t pretty. Neither was it well thought through but the possibility of success existed. Did Jess have a plan for him? Why? And how? Did it involve her as well? Was she really so unhappy that she planned on getting out? Nacho knew he wanted it to be this way; wanted her to have the chance at a happier life, but what did that mean? It wasn’t like he could provide more than Tuco did, nor could he provide anything until they had taken care of his dad and found a place that was safe to stay in. Should he even make plans that involved her? He should ask her but he didn’t know where to start. When they stopped at a red light, Jess broke the silence first, 

“I know you might still feel weird about our talk in the car”

She said but both of them just stared straight ahead at the car in front of them, 

“I know that trust doesn’t come easy in this line of work” 

She continued, 

“But Nacho… I trust you. And you can trust me”

Nacho didn’t move his hand from the wheel or his eyes from the car, 

“I uhm… took the liberty of arranging something with an old friend of mine, you know him, his name is Mike” 

Nacho listened up at that, 

“You’ll know what I’m talking about when it happens, you just have to play along and it’ll be fine” 

She said nothing more after that and neither did he but when she stood before him, ready to pass security and he handed her the luggage, He reached for her hand and briefly squeezed it, 

“Tell your dad I said hi, will you?”

She asked him and he nodded, 

“He likes you, you know? He keeps telling me to bring you with me when I visit him” 

Jess chuckled and shook her head,

“He only saw me for a few minutes”,

“You left an impression”,

“Well…then I hope I’ll get to know him better” 

She looked up at Nacho, trying to convey the hidden meaning as well as possible but before Nacho could wow her with some smooth line she let go of his hand and made her way through security.   
Nacho stared after her for a short while then returned to his car and drove back to meet with Arturo and together they were supposed to visit the dead drops their dealers collect the product for distribution and supply them with new stuff to sell. In a few days Nacho would meet with Tuco at El Michoacáno and collect and count the profits.   
He thought a little more about what Jess had told him in the car and he couldn’t shake the feeling that things wouldn’t be as easy as she made them seem. Nervousness crept its way up his spine and remained even when he and Arturo had finished their round.   
In the meantime, Jess was enjoying a cup of tea on her flight and had her headphones on. She didn’t enjoy flying as much, though she acknowledged that most of the time it was the best way to travel. She would have hated being stuck in a car for 5 hours or more. True, flying probably took longer but it held more entertainment options, food and drink. The flight wasn’t non-stop but the time in between flights was short enough, so it wasn’t so bad. However, Jess felt a little nervous already when she thought about the days, she would spend in Don Hector’s company and the company of his underlings. Usually there was a lot of drinking and eating involved, which wasn’t inherently bad, of course. It was just that Lalo, Tuco’s other cousin, liked to try out all his new recipes on Jess and she wasn’t as used to the Mexican cuisine as she liked to think. Also, Lalo was a man whose presence was just utterly unsettling. She could handle being around Hector and the twins but Lalo creeped her out even more than Arturo. She was glad she only saw him twice a year tops.   
She arrived in the evening, as the sun was already setting and was pleasantly surprised to find Leonel and Marco waiting for her after she collected her luggage.   
The two men towered over the other people who were waiting for the rest of the passengers and everyone kept their distance.   
She walked towards them with a smile on her face. A smile she could only keep because she’d never actually seen them in action, doing their part in the family business. She put down her luggage and had to stand on her tiptoes to hug them each. They didn’t really move or emote but Marco grunted in greeting, Leonel then took care of the luggage and they escorted her to the car waiting outside.


	10. Speak of the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Don Hector time! I suck at summaries <3

The Salamanca residence was a little outside of the City. Jess didn’t mind the drive so much as the terrible, tacky music that was played on the radio. The twins probably thought she’d prefer a little background noise to the absolute silence they usually rode around in. The reception out here wasn’t worth mentioning, so Jess didn’t even bother using her phone. Or her second phone. She got a burner in case there was something important she needed to convey to either Mike or Nacho. Mike had the number saved, but Nacho didn’t, since he didn’t know she had the phone in the first place. Well, it would be fine. He would know where the message or the call came from. Jess zoned out for the remaining 40 minutes of the drive and mentally prepared herself to face the numerable rest of the Salamancas at the house and the dinner they had probably prepared for her visit. You could say what you wanted about them; they were still sort of hospitable.   
When they finally reached the driveway of the villa, Jess could see a few people waiting outside. Standing at the front was Hector, clad in a dark brown suit and hat. The car stopped and the twins got out; Marco opened Jess’ door and stretched out his arm, so she could hold on to it while she got out of the car as well. He might be a ruthless killer in the name of the Cartel, however he also had manners. Leonel took her luggage out of the trunk,

“Jess!”

Don Hector opened his arms and walked towards her,

“It is a pleasure to welcome you here!” 

His rough voice sent a cold chill down her spine,

“Hector, it’s so good to be back” 

Jess said an he kissed her on each cheek in greeting,

“I trust you had a good flight?” 

He tried to make small talk and Jess humoured him while he led her inside the villa and showed her to the room, she would be staying in.

 

Nacho wouldn’t spend the rest of the night with a big family, only with himself and a microwaveable lasagne after he dropped Arturo off at the man’s place. Their round had been uneventful this time and Nacho was happy about that.   
Arturo wasn’t a man of many words and Nacho was happy about that as well. He had time enough to think about Jess’s words and her offer and he now he was sure he would accept it play along when the time came. He had no idea what he was supposed to watch out for, though. He wondered about her trip. He didn’t get much info on it, not even from her, only that Ciudad Juárez was her destination. That meant she was probably meeting some powerful and dangerous people. The last time Nacho visited Juárez also hadn’t been a fun vacation. Maybe he should have asked her if she wanted him teach her some useful Spanish. He knew she didn’t have a very extensive vocabulary. Then again, if he hadn’t ghosted her for weeks, he might have had the chance to do so.   
Should he even have done so? He couldn’t forget that she wasn’t a single woman. Were boyfriend literally anyone else, things might be different.  
Maybe he also shouldn’t even be thinking this way, her flirting could very well be just playful and harmless. Although it didn’t feel that way. He knew all about the meaningless side of things. The women, that clung to him because of his connections and his ability to hook them with the good stuff, were all about doing things the meaningless way.  
Just as he unlocked his front door his phone went off in his pocket and a message from one of the bimbos about a good time lit up on the screen. Speak of the devil. He stood in the doorframe for a few seconds, contemplating the message and then he went inside. Not having someone at home to spend time with on an evening like this was sad but it was even sadder to let some bimbo suck him off for a pack of powder. 

 

“You redecorated?” 

Jess asked Hector as he led her into the room,   
“Yes, we had some uh… how do you say? Unfortunate accidents in here and got a few nasty stains on the carpet” 

He answered with a smile on his wrinkly face, that could almost make you forget who he really was. Jess didn’t ask any further questions concerning the décor.  
Marco put the luggage on her bed and Hector praised her again, thanking her for her visit on such short notice and then they left her to get settled in. After all, it wasn’t clear how long she would be staying, yet.


	11. Highway to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan slowly takes shape and Nacho is freaking out a little. Understandably, one might say.

The next day Jess got a call from her supplier Reggie, telling her that the merch was on its way to her and could be expected to arrive within two hours. She’d been working with him for a long time now and he never disappointed her. Hector would be pleased.   
A lot more men would arrive today and Jess would have to interact socially and professionally with most of them in order to stay on Hector’s good side.   
True to his word, Reggie delivered the weapons and accessories to Jess within 2 hours, helped her set up and she discreetly handed him a substantial tip. His salary would be transferred some time later, after the whole amount of the weapons that would remain in Cartel hands was clear.   
Entertaining Hector was no small task and since she first met him, Jess had devised a strategy to avoid talking to him as much as possible. She would concentrate on the clients, explaining to them the pros and cons of certain equipment. Some pieces would be used for demonstration later on. Of course, none of them were ready to be used at this point. Jess kept the ammo locked away just in case.   
She got ready after everything was prepared in the back yard and Hector had approved of the set up. A sleek black suit would be the armour of choice today and Jess felt ready to take on whatever was going to happen. 

While Nacho was checking the inventory in his dad’s shop’s storage early in the morning, before it was opened, he got a call from an unknown number. For a second, he was unsure what to do but he picked up the phone eventually, answering it with a brisk  
“Hello?”,

“It’s me. Did she talk to you about the plan?”,

After a few seconds of hesitation Nacho answered,

“No, I was supposed to wait until something happened”,

“Well kid, this is it. Be ready today”

And then the familiar beep of someone hanging up ringed in his ear. That was Mike wasn’t it? The old guy Nacho met before. Why should he be involved in this? How was he connected to Jess? It really was a mall world, wasn’t it?  
And what kind of instruction was ‘be ready today’? For what? Today was payday-well pay collect day- at the Michoacáno, would Mike be there? Nacho guessed it was as good a place as any, since no one besides him, Tuco and the owner would be there. Maybe one of their dealers depending on when Mike planned to arrive. But no additional security or anything.   
Jess wasn’t planning on having Tuco killed, was she? Nacho was panicking a little but he also knew, that would probably be the most secure way he could get out safely. Not knowing was frying his nerves. He would just have to wait and see. For now, he should finish up here, go home and change, then head over to the diner to meet Tuco in a few hours.   
During the ride to his place his mind constructed a million possible outcomes for the situation. One or two of those actually involved him getting out of this alive and well and disappearing into the wind with his dad. It was all he wanted. Making sure he was safe and taken care of. He would probably not understand what was happening but Nacho would make him understand, that it was a life or death kind of situation and even if his father didn’t approve of his work for the Cartel, Nacho hoped he’d still accept his help. If they couldn’t come for Nacho, they would be sure to come for everyone he cared about.


	12. Don't get your Hands dirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike's time to shine and Tuco's time to say byebye.   
> Phew, Nacho must be relieved!
> 
> A longer chapter, since I wanted to get the whole conversation at the Michoacano as accurate as possible. 
> 
> have fun <3

Slowly, the customer started to arrive and Hector and Jess greeted them and led them around, showing them everything that was on display. Hector knew, that Jess insisted on her other name, when she was around potential buyers and Hector complied without any complaints. Jess was sure, that basically every model she had brought with her for today, would find a buyer. She didn’t want to think in stereotypes but it was safe to say, that her Mexican customers weren’t very picky when it came to buying weaponry of any kind.   
She made her way through the people, looking at the various handguns and rifles and all the other equipment, and she noticed Marco and Leonel had also arrived quietly, without anyone taking notice of them. She sauntered over to where they were standing in the shade, observing the other guests, their hands clasped in front of them, looking menacing as ever. 

“Enjoying the show?”

She asked them and they grunted affirmatively. It seemed like they were in a good mood today,

“I see” 

She positioned herself next to them, enjoying the break from the relentless burning of sunlight on her skin,

“Aren’t you guys getting warm in those suits?” 

She was sweating profusely under her jacket and she was itching to take it off. What the hell, she thought and started fumbling with the button in the front and then slid the black garment off her shoulders,  
“Jeez, this is better…”

She wasn’t sure where to put it down and looked around until Marco took it from her hands without a word and held onto it,

“Thanks” 

She said and nudged him with her elbow. She enjoyed a short moment of piece until Hector waved her over and she out her game-face back on. 

 

Nacho was sitting at the usual table next to Tuco and counted the money that was given to him. Tuco stared the young man down and then decided he was good to go, after Nacho confirmed the counted amount, 

“We’re good”

He said, dropping the bundle of Dollars in the duffle bag in the floor,

“So... til’ next time, huh?” 

Tuco stared at him a little longer, until Nacho said his name, eager to get going and let Domingo leave, 

“Okay”

Tuco said, 

“Go”,

“Ok… I’ll uhh, I’ll see you next week, Tuco… Nacho”

“Yeah, see you next week, Domingo” 

Said Nacho and Domingo got up and walked out, happy to not get beaten up. Tuco pulled put a tiny piece of plastic,

“He’s got good numbers”

Nacho said to him, meaning Domingo,

“He’s hustling”

Tuco only payed attention to him marginally, he was more concerned with the white powder in the little plastic pouch and stuck his little finger in there, 

“What do you think? Solid?”

He didn’t answer Nacho, just put his finger to his nostril and the white powder disappeared.   
Just then, another car drove up to the diner, visibly colliding with Tuco’s blue Pontiac, making the man look up, 

“Did you see that?”

Tuco asked him and he turned for a second, checking out the other car outside,

“See what?”,

“That old man… he just hit my car”

Tuco said calmly. Too calmly. His brain was now processing information a little slower, apparently.  
Outside, Mike got out of his car and put his wallet in the back pocket of his pants, then proceeded to enter the diner, as if nothing happened. He walked by Tuco’s and Nacho’s table, 

“Hey”

Tuco wanted to get his attention but the old man payed him no mind, just walked up to the counter. Tuco got up and followed him, Nacho behind him. He would have to figure out Mike’s plan soon, so het could play along. The stopped right behind Mike, who was ordering some food,

“let me see, umm… give me the number four, the pollo, por favor. That’s to go”,

“Yes, sir” 

Said the man behind the counter and turned around,

“Hey you, hey gramps, you just hit my car”

Tuco said again, sounding more impatient now, while Mike turned around to face him, 

“You… you talking to me?” 

Mike asked innocently and Tuco laughed. Nacho just stood behind him; his hands clasped in front of him, 

“Check out Mr. Magoo here” 

Tuco said and Nacho smiled, keeping up appearances, 

“Uh, yes, sir. You see that car, that you parked your piece of shit next to? That’s mine. You just ran into it” 

Tuco was leaning forward slightly, 

“No, I don’t think I did” 

Mike said, sounding like an old man, completely unfazed by the situation,

“You calling me a liar?”

Tuco immediately responded and the atmosphere suddenly turned a little threatening.  
Mike acted surprised, 

“Oh, uh… No?”

That was the moment Nacho stepped in, playing along,

“Hey, I saw it, too. Gonna stand here and deny it?”

“Oh guys, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not aware of hitting anyone’s car. But if I did, I apologize, so…” 

He said, trying to keep calm but provocative at the same time. He turned around and payed for his food and gave a little tip, then excused himself and walked out. Nacho looked to Tuco, waiting for what he would do next. He followed Mike outside,

“Don’t you walk away from me”

Tuco said, sounding very serious,

“Hey pops, you better listen to the man”  
Nacho piped up. Mike put down his food on the trunk of his car and turned around, his hands up in a peaceful gesture,

“Come on, guys, let’s just keep things friendly, all right?”

He knew what his words were doing to Tuco and he took a few steps toward him,

“I ain’t your friend! Look! You see that? You did that” 

Tuco pointed to the front edge of his car, a tiny scratch visible on the silver part,

“Oh, come on, that’ll buff right out!”

Mike said, and Tuco stepped in front of him, staring him down,

“You’re gonna make this alright. You’re not leaving until you do”,

“Fine, you got a pen?”,

“A pen?”,

“A pen. We’ll exchange information. Insurance. I have very good coverage. They’ll take care of this”

Tuco shook his head, 

“I’m not messing around with insurance, ese. Cash”

He said and Mike scoffed, 

“Listen, I’m willing to accept responsibility but if you’re not going through insurance, then I have maybe 20, 30 bucks on me, that’s all”,  
“Ok, now you’re lying to me, I saw your wallet, you got plenty in there. Take it out. Let’s look together. Jog your memory”

Tuco didn’t move an inch and Nacho stepped up, 

“You heard him. Take out the wallet”

Mike sighed, 

“I just cashed my social security check. It’s all I have til’ the end of the month and I am not giving it to you”

Tuco turned around to Nacho and started laughing,

“You’re not?”

He asked Mike, 

“I offered to do this the right way. If you can’t accept that, I can’t help you”

Mike said and Tuco quickly snatched the car keys from Mike’s hand,

“Oh, come on, guys!”,

“I’m gonna make this real simple for you. Give me your wallet and maybe you walk away from this”   
Tuco pointed at Mike, looking like his patience was about to run out. Mike breathed for a second, 

“I’m not giving you a damn thing”, 

“No, homes?” 

Tuco flashed him the gun, that was tucked in the front of his pants,

“You give me your wallet”

Mike held up his hands and stepped back a little, 

“Now let’s just stay calm here”,

Tuco laughed and threw up his hands and shoved him, 

“Ha! You see me sweating, bitch? Wallet”

Mike didn’t react and Tuco repeated himself. Nacho was feeling tense and watched the whole thing nervously. Then Mike actually handed Tuco the wallet and he took out the money, 

“There’s like 400$ here. You got some crazy lip on you, old man. Your life, worth 400 bucks”

Police sirens were suddenly becoming louder in the distance and Nacho wanted to get Tuco’s attention, 

“Hey Tuco, time to bounce”, 

“Yeah go, go”

Tuco said, not looking at him. Nacho didn’t hesitate and walked to the old van with the duffle, starting it without a backward glance.


	13. All about the shmoney, you know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuco is out of the picture and Hector wants to take over. Nacho is just happy to be alive.

Jess was finishing up with the last buyers and collecting their signature on the contract and then she could finally relax. After a long day of sucking up to people, she needed a moment of peace and quiet to herself. She sat outside, enjoying the not so aggressive evening sun, slowly setting on the horizon. Any moment now Hector would waltz outside, sit down next to her and offer her a cigar. She’d take it and he’d say how well today went and how proud he is, making her feel like she mattered to him, even though they both knew it was all bullshit. She’d grown accustomed to it.   
Hector was peculiar and dangerous. It was best to play along with him, humour him when he expected it. Even for her it was dangerous to step out of line, although she was his golden boy’s girl.   
Well, if all went well that would change today.   
It wasn’t like she had planned to leave him for a long time. She just saw an opportunity to steer her life in another direction. Preferably with a guy, who she knew wouldn’t fuck around like Tuco. He was too far gone by now. Beyond saving or even being considered worth the attempt. She treasured the happy memories and the excitement in the past. But these memories weren’t a good enough reason to throw her life and youth away, while she still had the chance to get out.   
Right on cue her phone, the second one, vibrated with an incoming message. 

‘Done. The pup made it out, as well.’ 

Was all it said and Jess allowed herself a smile. She texted her thanks back to Mike and then extracted all he necessary parts of the phone to make it unusable.   
She was grateful for his help. Mike knew how to take a punch, still he didn’t have to help Jess by letting Tuco go crazy on him. It wasn’t luck, that brought the plan to fruition. Tuco was a hot head. Even more so when he was high. It was a calculated risk, one might say.   
She dared to take out her actual phone and send a text to Nacho. An inconspicuous one. A simple 

‘you ok?’

As he looked down at Jess’ text on his phone he considered the question. He was physically ok, sure, but what would happen now that Tuco was behind bars? Surely the cops couldn’t hold him forever, he didn’t kill anyone, just had a gun on him and punched an old guy. Nacho couldn’t help but panic a little. It couldn’t be as easy as this, could it? He answered Jess’ text and then turned off his phone. He didn’t need any more distractions today. 

 

Jess could only enjoy the solitude a few moments longer because Hector joined her outside and he looked displeased,

 

“Jess, are you ready to leave tomorrow?”

 

He asked without any foreplay, 

 

“I am. Why? I thought I was supposed to stay longer” 

 

Jess turned to him and he sat down opposite her on a garden chair,

“I will be accompanying you back to New Mexico”

Jess couldn’t hide the surprise on her face. She should have expected this; fucking beginner’s mistake not to calculate the risk of Hector’s involvement when something happened with Tuco,

“You will? But Hector, you never come unless something… Oh”

She pretended to be clueless, 

“Sí, something happened and now the business needs a new coordinator until matters are resolved”,

“What exactly happened? Is someone threatening your position?”,

“My nephew was arrested, today”,

“Come again?”,

“Tuco was arrested, beat up an old man and was taken in” 

Jess covered her mouth with her hand and played speechless for a second. Hector shook his head, clearly displeased with Tuco,

“I should have told him to come here with you, keep an eye on him. Can’t leave that boy alone for a fucking second” 

He muttered to himself and Jess had to try her best to suppress her grin, 

“What do we do now, Hector? What’s the plan?”

She tried to sound as distressed as possible, nothing could show on her face or he would get suspicious,

“We leave tomorrow morning and get it under control” 

He got up after he said that and left Jess outside again. Now she was worried for real. Hector was not to be underestimated.


	14. Not another Teenage Movie...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Tuco is out of the way, Jess an Nacho can get closer, right?

Since Jess’ return to New Mexico with Hector, things had been tense. He had used his authority over everyone to make some drastic changes to the way the business was done. Nacho and Arturo were on call for him 24/7 and he had brought someone else into the mix. Someone who was also playing a dangerous game of his own. Jess had heard of Gustavo Fring before, but only through hearsay and because of that, she didn’t let her guys get too close to him. He seemed inconspicuous enough but just like Hector wasn’t simply a sweet old man with candy in his pocket, Fring wasn’t just the law-abiding, tax-paying manager of a fats-food restaurant. She didn’t know exactly how he was affiliated with the Cartel but it had to be a long-standing connection. Maybe she could get to the bottom of it.   
Anyway, Fring was now supposed to share his supply route with Hector and let them take some of his product and his profits. She knew all of this from Nacho who, alongside Arturo, collected it from Frings’s guys. A lot of things had happened, since Mike had made sure Tuco went to prison and he was even threatened by Hector, who would do anything to make Tuco’s stay in prison as short as possible.   
Which was, what Jess didn’t want. Obviously, she knew that he wouldn’t stay behind bars forever for beating up someone but one could dream, no? 

She hasn’t left her house in days. Busy with cleaning everything out when Hector isn’t breathing down her neck. Apparently Tuco wouldn’t go free in a couple of months, after all, since he killed a guy in prison. She wasn’t even surprised. Now all that was left to do, was to get rid of Hector or preferably just get the hell away from him and hope he wouldn’t come after her. Or Them. Secretly, she was hoping there would be a them after all of this. She didn’t know but Nacho hoped so, too.   
She had already arranged transport of a few of her favourite things in the house with Reggie and the basement, where she kept all her favourite pieces, that were not furniture or decoration, was already emptied out and everything was stored away until she would have need of it again. Technically, she could continue her business anywhere in the world. Maybe even consider making it a legit and honest business. 

One night, when she isn’t completely drained from having Hector around her all the time, her phone goes off and it’s a text from Nacho, asking her whether she would be up for a little adventure. She feels like a teenager in a stupid love story and they haven’t even kissed or anything like that.   
She hoped he would still be the same because they barely saw each other in the past few weeks. Only when he came to collect Hector and drop him off again.   
She was curious to know how he had been and what happened in his life, aside from Hector swooping in and assuming control.  
She answered the text, casually mentioning that she had the house to herself now, that Tuco wasn’t around anymore. Hector didn’t stay with her, he preferred living in a Hotel, thank god for that.   
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting from mentioning the empty house but it felt strange and somehow sexy and that was exciting. Maybe she would take a shower before, even though she already did that this morning. A slight nervous tingle, however, made her want to be clean and fresh when he’d come. Would he come, though? Maybe this was too risky, after all and he’d realise that and cancel.  
Maybe he would come, but not in the house and they would just talk outside for a few minutes, casually, before he left again. Then the shower, she was probably going to take now, would have been for nothing. So many variables were flying around in her head and then her phone buzzed again,

You want food? I can bring take out

Shit. She really lost it there for a minute, didn’t she? She took a calming breath and gave a definitive ‘yes’ as an answer to his question and a time for him to arrive, then she went upstairs to take that damn shower and change. Maybe even shave.


	15. A Moment of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jess and Nacho spend a peaceful evening together.

When Nacho rolled up the driveway in his car, he didn’t feel nervous at all but he was a little unsure of what the night had in store. He didn’t know what to expect from tonight. Was he even in a position in which he could expect anything at all?   
He stopped the car, got out and walked up to the door, carrying a bag with some food in it. He brought a small selection because he forgot to ask Jess what she actually wanted. Well, it was whatever actually, she wasn’t a picky eater.   
He rang the bell and a few seconds later, Jess opened up, hoping it wasn’t obvious that she’d been waiting for him by the door, 

“Hey”,

“Hey”

It was a little awkward at first, since both of them didn’t really know how a situation like this worked, 

“Come in” 

Jess said and stepped aside,

“Thanks”

Nacho walked inside and immediately felt the nervousness creep up on him. Being in the house alone with Jess felt strange and suddenly he wasn’t so calm anymore,

“Let me take this, you can make yourself at home”

She said and he handed her the bag, thinking how making himself at home would be easier said than done, when not long ago, Tuco still lived here.   
He hung his jacket by the door and took off his shoes, as well, then walked through the hall into the kitchen. Jess was unpacking the goodie bag and setting it all out on the table,

“You ok with this?” 

Nacho asked and gestured to all the food on the table, 

“Yes, of course”

It felt forced, 

“If you want, I can get something else…”

He was about to turn around already, 

“No, no! That’s not necessary, I just…”

She looked at him and the insecurity was written all over her,

“I think we should… let’s address the elephant in the room, first”

She said smiling awkwardly and Nacho nodded, looking at the floor, 

“I uhm… I’m not sure why I asked you to meet me tonight” 

He started to say and ran a hand over his shaved head, 

“But I like you. I think that’s obvious by now”

He paused a few seconds for emphasis,

“I just don’t know if anything can ever happen between us, you know? There’s so much other shit going down, I… so many things that could go wrong” 

He looked at her intently,

“I don’t even wanna think about what Hector would do, if he knew I was here alone with you” 

Both of them smiled awkwardly, knowing that it wasn’t actually funny, of course but dead serious,

“Not only Hector, for that matter…”

Jess added and thought about what would happen if Tuco ever found out,

“Yeah…” 

Nacho mumbled, 

“But I know that I haven’t felt like this in a long time and I’m not ready to let that go just because it might be a little dangerous” 

Jess smiled at him, trying to diffuse the situation and hoping he would feel the same, 

“I can deal with Hector”

She added, reaching for Nacho’s hand and taking it in hers. He believed her but a quiet voice in the back of his head knew, that things wouldn’t be so easy. That didn’t mean it wasn’t worth trying. He pulled her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it,

“Maybe we should eat, before it gets cold”,

“You’re right”, 

“Maybe we could sit outside, it’s a nice evening”

Jess suggested and they took some of it outside and sat together in silence for a while, enjoying the food and the view of the night sky. Jess had taken a bottle of wine outside for them, as well and they were sharing it alongside the food.


	16. Who do you love, and are you sure?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some meaningful conversation and a make-out-session. 
> 
> At some point I wanted to correct something in this chapter but I forgot what it was. So if anything seems out of place, let me know.

The food had been delicious and the wine fit perfectly with it. Maybe that's why they had a little too much of it. Jess was swirling the rest of it in her glass and chuckled at a story Macho told about his childhood,  
"So... that's why I'm not really good with cats"  
He finished his story and put down his empty glass on the small table between his and Jess' chair,  
"That sounds wild"  
She commented and Nacho smiled, running a hand over his face at the embarrassing feeling of sharing such an intimate story. He doesn't remember telling anyone about his childhood, ever. Most of the people he was around could use any kind of information as leverage and turn it into a weakness,  
"It was. You should have seen that thing it was as big as a dog!",  
"Suuuure...",  
"I'm telling you",  
"And did it have glowing eyes, too?",  
"Come on, stop making fun of me",  
"Sorry, it's just too easy, sometimes. Abducted by a cat? What am I supposed to do with this information, if I can't make fun of you?",  
"Show some compassion, I still have the scar from when she attacked me"  
He pointed to the small scar in his left eyebrow,

"Really? That's from a cat?"  
Jess tried to hide the smile when she leaned across the table and examined the scar up close. She ran her thumb over it and let her hand sit on the side of his face,  
"You poor thing"  
She wanted to be serious, but the she couldn't stop smiling,  
"You're not taking me seriously"  
Nacho said and smiled, too. Knowing that his story was ridiculous, though true. He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face, holding it in his.   
Jess leaned back but didn't pull her hand away,  
"I have a scar from a cat, too"  
She said and squeezed his hand before letting go and pulling up the long skirt of her dress until the outside of her right thigh was visible,  
"It's quite old actually"  
Nacho looked down and let his gaze travel over the exposed skin. It was a bigger scar, probably like 7-8 inches long. Why hasn't he noticed it before?  
"I'm guessing no domestic cat did that?"  
He asked and she let the fabric slide down her leg again,  
"No, that was a cougar. I'm not gonna go into detail, but it was my own fault"  
She said and shrugged,  
"Looks like it hurt",  
"Sure did"  
Jess chuckled at his statement of the obvious,  
"Now I feel even more ridiculous about my story",  
"Sometimes it's good to get some perspective"  
He smiled,  
"How'd you get it? The scar",  
Jess was silent for a moment but then she started to explain,  
"It was a stupid thing... A hiking trip. We were pretty far out, off the path and apparently got too deep into its territory. When we stopped and took a break it jumped down from a branch and got my leg"  
She traced the spot through her dress with her fingers,  
"Tuco scared it off, it was still young. The trip was ruined, though"  
She chuckled at the memory,  
"He carried me all the way back to a ranger station. It was a long time ago"  
She stared at the ground for a few seconds and then smiled at him sweetly, making it seem like it was just an innocent story. Nacho could tell, that it made her feel some kind of way. Tuco must have been a completely different person, then,  
"How long you two been together?"  
He knew it was risky to ask a question like this but he felt like she needed to share some of the good memories. Lately, there have been too many bad ones,  
"Since I was sixteen"  
She answered and looked down at her hands, rubbing them together. Nacho was surprised. He knew it was longer than he knew Tuco, but since sixteen? Almost 12 years,  
"I was so young back then, I didn't even think about it",  
"How did you meet?",  
"At a party, outside of town. It was the kind you don't tell anyone about... He talked to me when I was smoking outside and we just... Hot it off, I guess"   
She chuckled and stretched her long legs,  
"We danced, had some more drinks and then fucked in his car behind the building"  
Nacho watched her face closely, noticing all the emotions, that it expressed,  
"He was so different from the all the boys at my school, you know? A few years older, stronger, kind of dangerous... I just felt so drawn to him from the first time I saw him",  
"So, you've always been a troublemaker?"  
Nacho commented and made Jess laugh,  
"I guess, I have",  
"I can't imagine Tuco as a boy... ",  
"I met him as a teenager but I doubt he was ever a boy. You've met Hector and the rest of his family isn't that different"  
Nacho let it all sink in for a few moments and Jess kept quiet, as well. She got up from her chair and grabbed her empty glass and some of the empty plates,  
"I'll just put this away, be right back"  
She mumbled and disappeared into the dark house. Nacho wasn't all that confident in his ability to rea other people's emotions but he was somewhat sure that Jess might be in need of some comfort. He took his glass and some other stuff and followed her inside. She stood in the kitchen with the lights out, her hands on the surface of the counter by the window. Her form was only visible because the light from the backyard shone through the window.   
He put down the things and wiped his hands on a towel before he walked over to stand behind her.  
She had clearly heard him come in but she didn't do anything to acknowledge his presence. Nacho went to stand behind her,  
"Sorry I asked about Tuco"  
He quietly said and leaned against the kitchen isle behind him. He heard Jess take a deep breath and then she turned around,  
"It's fine, you deserve to know all those things"  
She looked down at her feet,  
"I'm just not used to all the emotional labour"   
She said with a half-hearted grin,  
"The good memories still count; the bad ones are just... You don't get over those as easily"  
He tried to make her feel better,   
"I know"  
She replied and pushed herself off the counter,  
"My conscience is trying to make me feel bad about it but… I'm ready for new memories"  
She stood in front of him and looked up at him through her lashes while she put her hand on his upper arm and let her fingers trace little circles on the fabric of his shirt. Both of them felt the tension between them rise and Nacho wasn’t sure how he should handle it. He wanted to kiss her; wanted to do so for a long time but was this the right moment? What should he do with his hands? Currently, they were supporting his weight behind him on the kitchen isle. Maybe he should touch Jess like she was touching him. God knows, he wants to. Not only like this but also in other, not so innocent ways. Maybe he should just hug her? People hug, right? He was starting to get nervous. Jess was still looking up at him and now she slowly put both of her hands on his chest and rose to her tiptoes. Nacho could feel his breath catch in his throat,   
“This is the moment where you kiss me, you know?”   
Jess whispered, raising her brows expectantly,   
“You mean right now?”  
Nacho was nervous but he could still tease her a little,   
“I mean, I’m basically in your face right now, so I don’t know, seems like a good opportunity, no?”  
She grinned and Nacho felt himself relax a little. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer,   
“Yeah, you’re right, why not?”  
She laughed and swatted him on the chest as a joke and then she looked up at him again. Suddenly it all felt so real. His eyes went to her lips and he couldn’t resist anymore, so he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was a gentle at first, a careful kiss; like dipping a toe in the water before jumping in. But her lips were so warm and her skin was so soft that he couldn’t be gentle anymore. He tangled his hands in her hair and felt her arms come around his neck in a tight embrace. Suddenly he felt hot all over and the kiss wasn’t careful or gentle anymore; it was sloppy and demanding, all teeth and tongue and hands wandering over bodies to find something to hold onto.   
When they separated for a second, to catch their breath, he turned them around so Jess was trapped between him and the counter,  
“Damn…”   
She mumbled and he chuckled and nodded,  
“Yeah…”   
She raked her nails through the short hair at the back of his neck and it made a shiver run down his spine. He pressed his body against hers and took her face in his hands to tilt it upwards. He fisted her hands into the fabric of his shirt, when he kissed her again and pressed her body against the counter.


	17. Scrub it off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait people!  
> NSFW.   
> Enjoy!

“You know…”

Nacho started to say after the kiss, 

“I been wanting to do that for a long time”

He was a little out of breath, actually,

“Same here” 

Jess smiled up at him and let her hands roam over his chest, 

“There’s more I’ve been wanting to do to you for a long time”

She added and Nacho closed his eyes and kissed her again, 

“We’ve got all night, no?”  
…

Jess pulled them both out of the kitchen and into the hallway where Nacho pushed her against the wall for another heated kiss but she pushed him away and evaded his touch, instead slowly walking up the stairs behind her,

"A long, hot shower would be nice, don't you think?" 

She asked and disappeared around a corner in the staircase. Nacho didn't move for a few seconds, until a few pieces of clothing flew from behind the wall and landed on the stairs. He pushed himself off the wall and followed Jess upstairs.  
He could hear the water running in the bathroom and closed the door behind him after he followed her inside. She stood before him in just her underwear. Nacho took the hint and quickly took off his own shirt. Jess, turned around to fumble around with the temperature and he used it to his advantage and came up behind her, 

"I think a shower sounds amazing"

He purred in her ear from behind, circling his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to her neck,

"Thought so..."

Jess mumbled and turned around, warm steam from the shower rising around her. Nacho cupped her face and kissed her slowly, deeply while she let her hands drop to his pants, unzipping them and hooking her fingers in to push them down his legs and onto the floor. His hands wandered down, over her back to her ass and squeezed while he kissed his way along her jaw and neck. She held onto him while one of his hands travelled back up to the clip of her bra and skilfully unclasp it. It came loose and he slid it off her shoulders. He lightly pulled away from her so he could marvel at the sight of her bare chest in front of him,

"You know, I've been dying to see these two since that pool party a long time ago, right?"

He said, smiling when he moved his hand back to her front to squeeze and caress her breasts while Jess slung one of her legs around his waist and ground her centre against his crotch, 

"Oh, I know, it's not like you tried to hide the staring"

She gently let him feel her nails at the back of his neck, giving him goosebumps.  
He let out a shaky breath and squeezed tighter, then moving his hand a little to push into the band of her panties and pull them down.  
She stood before him, completely naked, turning around to step into the shower and under the warm water. The water ran through her hair, down her body and she trailed her hands up her form and tangled them in her hair, turning her head slightly so she could look at Nacho. The look on his face was priceless; his mouth hung open slightly and his eyes were fixed on her body, roaming over her like she was a feast only prepared for him to devour. He could have watched her like that for hours, but when she brought her hand down across her body and placed it between her legs, letting out a delicious moan, he didn't wanna hold back anymore. He pushed down his briefs and stepped in the shower, as well. Jess turned to face him and put her hands on his chest, curling her fingers a little so he felt the nails scraping at his skin. He took her hands in his and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles then he pulled her into him, lips touching in a passionate kiss and hands roaming over each other's bodies, exploring, teasing.  
He let his hand slide down between their bodies and slowly placed it between Jess' legs, finding her wet and ready for him.  
He couldn't put into words how turned on he was right now, he just looked at her while he slowly started moving his fingers over her, sliding his middle finger inside her. She pulled her lip between her teeth and threw her head back, while her nails dug into his skin,

"Oh god..."

She moaned and he used his other hand to pull her leg around his waist, pressing her back against the wall with his body,

"Fuck, Jess, can you stop turning me on so much? I don't want this to be over in 30 seconds..."

He said and buried his face in her neck, sucking and biting at the sensitive skin. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, and now both of her legs around his waist, 

"It's been a long time coming... I know it's not gonna take you more than 20"

She teased him,

"Oh, you are in for a spanking now, young lady"

He grinned and delivered a smack to her ass, making her cry out in surprise,

"I think you need to be put in your place..."

She smiled at his words and tightened her legs around him, to push him closer, grinding her centre against him,

"Yes, please"

She moaned and Nacho moved his hand from her centre to line himself up with her. His breath got caught in his throat when he slowly pushed in and Jess let out a loud moan, not even trying to keep quiet,

"Jesus, you feel so good"

He rasped against her neck, while sliding himself deeper inside her,

"So good for me..."

He mumbled while he built up a steady rhythm, moving his hips against hers and making her see stars. She ran one of her hands through his short hair and raked her nails down his back; it felt amazing to have him and to be so close to him. His hot breath fanned over her neck and his strong arms held her up and close to him, while he buried himself deep inside her, hitting all the sweet spots that made her want to scream his name for everyone to hear. The hot water running down over their bodies and the steam rising up around them made it feel so much more intense. She didn't think she'd last much longer and she felt Nacho start to tremble as well,

"Fuck, I'm about to cum"

She moaned into his neck, biting at his skin, sure to leave a mark,

"You gonna cum for me, sweetheart?"

He gripped her tighter, leaving wet kisses along her jaw,

"God you feel amazing"

He added, panting and picked up the pace, while she dug her nails into his skin. Both of them pulled back for a second to look at each other and admire the expression of raw pleasure on each their faces. Then Nacho closed his eyes, leaning forward to touch his forehead against Jess' and press his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. She was close to her release and her legs tightened around his waist to drive him deeper inside her. HE could feel she was close; her muscles tightening around him and quickly driving him to his own release.  
When she came, she held onto him for dear life and she bit into the skin of his shoulder to stifle a loud moan; seeing her like that, convulsing from the pleasure he gave her, made him lose it as well and he came, buried deep insider her and moaning her name into her neck.


	18. Update!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's happening

I'm working on the next chapter as you read this, so be prepared for an upload soon! I hope I can slide back into a semi-regular uploading schedule again, now that my life is kinda back on track.   
Thank you for the nice comments and know that they still mean a lot, even though I haven't been active for so long! 

Lots of love and all that fluffy stuff to you guys <3


	19. Love Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a fun night together, Nacho an Jess have to face new adnventures together.

“You know, back when Tuco first brought you along, I didn’t think you had it in you” 

Jess smiled up at Nacho, who was looking at her curiously,

“Had what in me?”

She pulled his hand over her chest and cradled it in her hands, 

“This, all of it… this whole business” 

She was quiet for a few seconds and Nacho rolled over to face her, 

“I knew right then, that you were a good man, still are a good man. I knew that you weren’t meant to get caught up in all this… bullshit”, 

“You think I’m a god man, hm?” 

He couldn’t help but sound a little sceptical, 

“Yes” 

She said simply and pressed a kiss to the hand she held against her heart before she got up and out of the bed to pull on her robe, 

“We need to think about the next step, what do we do now that Tuco is out of the picture” 

Nacho took a deep breath. He knew they really didn’t have a lot of time to lose if they wanted to be free of the Cartel’s claws. The whole thing would be more of a fight than it had been up until now. He ran a hand through his cropped hair and swung his legs over the side of the bed to get up, as well.   
“I know” 

He said as he picked his shirt up off the floor and made his way to the bathroom. His pants had to be around there somewhere, too.   
Jess was already headed downstairs and he could hear some faint clicking and clinging in the kitchen, supposedly caused by dishes and pans or something like that.   
He decided he should probably have another shower, because the one last night did basically nothing to make him feel clean, much less improve his actual hygiene.   
He took his time under the relaxing stream of hot water and when he got out, he put his clothes back on, feeling somewhat hopeful.   
He made his way downstairs but stopped dead in his tracks, shortly before he could round the corner to the living room. He pressed himself flat against the wall, because he heard voices come from the kitchen. Unmistakable voices. 

“Hector, I already told you, he’s upstairs fixing my shower, it’s been acting up for a few days”

“Why did you not call me? I could have sent Marco or Luis over to you” 

“Do they have plumbing experience in addition to murdering skills?” 

Hector chuckled, 

“They have a lot of skills”

He heard Jess sigh loudly, 

“I’m sure he’ll be down in a minute; he’s been at it for a long time now. Do you want me to go get him?” 

Nacho had to be quick now, make his way back upstairs to the bathroom and raid the cabinets for some tools. He just hoped it would look realistic enough, since he only had minimal plumbing skills. Not like Marco and Luis apparently…   
He followed the plan successfully and took a decently sized wrench out of the lowest drawer below the sink in his hands after he splashed some water on his face and shirt to make it look like he actually did something.   
His heart was going a hundred miles per hour and he needed to calm down before he went downstairs, so he took a few calming breaths. How could Jess sound so calm and collected while facing Hector? He shook his head and tried to loosen his tense muscles before he made his way downstairs.   
They were still gong at it, arguing over the shower and Nacho, while the underlying topic was clearly a different one but that was not important right now. He walked around the corner to face both of them, 

“Jess, I think I fixed it, the water is coming out warm again”

Both of them turned around as he was wiping the wrench on his shirt. Now he also saw Arturo had accompanied Hector here,

“Oh, Don Hector, I didn’t hear you come in” 

He trained his eyes on the floor before his boss and tried to look as demure as possible, 

“Thank you, Nacho, that will be all for today” 

Jess said, fixing Hector with her gaze instead of Nacho, who now to looked to Hector, 

“I suppose you won’t need Marco, after all”

Was all Hector said. They could both only pray that this improvised play satisfied his suspicions for now and he would change the topic.  
All the while Arturo, didn’t move an inch, just stood next to them and looked his usual creepy self,

“Don Hector, do you need me today?” 

Nacho asked, hoping it would put Hector’s mind towards other things.  
The old man and turned to Arturo, whispering something in his ear, before the man took off and Hector turned his attention back to Nacho, 

“Yes, Tuco is away for the time being but business needs to be attended to. Pack up and follow us” 

Hector swung his hand aggressively through the air before he turned around and left Jess and Nacho to join Arturo outside. 

“I guess we got away with it for now” 

Jess crossed her arms in front of her chest and Nacho nodded, 

“I better go, he’s already suspicious enough” 

He put the wrench down on the small table next to the couch,

“Yeah, we can’t afford anymore of his meddling” 

She dismissed him with a small on her lips and a wave of her hand,

“I’ll text you” 

She added and he smiled before turning and leaving the house to get in his car and follow Hector and Arturo to work business as usual. He knew Jess was probably working on the next step of their plan and he knew that things would get more dangerous soon enough, but he didn’t expect to be thrown into it so quickly.


	20. Talk is cheap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nacho is slaving away for Hector and Jess meets some dangerous people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me for so long!  
> Hot new chapter, fresh out the oven, just for u

Hector had Nacho take care of some business with the Espinosa’s, a small gathering of criminals that weren’t really a threat to Hector’s operation and the presence of the Cartel here in New Mexico but Hector liked to be thorough. With Tuco out of the picture for the foreseeable future, He couldn’t risk appearing any weaker or giving his competitors a reason to think they could take this opportunity to expand their own business.  
It went well. Nacho knew the family and they had never given Tuco and him any trouble that couldn’t have been resolved with a little payoff or a light threat here and there. He took the reasonable approach and let them know the real boss was in town, before they could get any ideas.  
Arturo didn’t speak to him all day. It wasn’t unusual for him, it just made him feel even more uneasy today because he still felt like Hector might not have bought his and Jess’ improvised stunt from this morning. He couldn’t afford to be seen checking his phone all the time, it would only seem more suspicious.  
A few poor souls had to make his fists acquaintance during today’s other runs because Hector was the kind of guy to not let things slide so easily compared to Tuco or Nacho. He couldn’t show weakness or pity, not now, when Hector was testing him so obviously.  
When Nacho returned to El Michoacáno, Hector was nursing a coffee and flipping through today’s newspaper while Arturo dutifully stood behind him with his hands clasped in front of him. The typical intimidating stance. Nacho swallowed hard before he walked up to Hector’s table, 

“Ah, you’re back. I expect it went well?”

Hector didn’t even look up, 

“Yes, Don Hector”,

“I’m sure you were able to get the message across?”,

“Yes, Don Hector. They were very agreeable”

Hector nodded and turned the page of the paper before he beckoned Nacho closer with a flick of his wrist. Nacho complied and made his way closer to the old man’s table,

“I know you must feel somewhat insecure about your future, now that Tuco isn’t here anymore but I assure you, I have plans for you. Tuco trusted you with his business and you have proven you’re still loyal to him and to us”

Hector had put the paper down and looked directly at Nacho; a clear sign that Hector was concealing some very different meaning in his words. Nacho nodded,

“We’re done for the day”

And with that he was dismissed.  
The moment Nacho entered the front door of his place he let out a long breath and felt some of the tension, that had plagued all his thought, leave him and make way for some more positive feelings.  
He was finally able to et his guard down and check his phone. It was almost 11 by now and Nacho felt so exhausted all of a sudden, that when he sat down on his sofa for the first time in a while, he dozed off almost immediately, phone still in hand.  
…

Jess felt a little uneasy. Nervous maybe. Actually, she probably felt more anxious than she would like to admit. It’s not like she never took part in the planning of some nefarious endeavour; quite the opposite actually. This time however, there was more at stake than just the balance of her bank account or Tuco’s bruised ego. This time it was a literal life or death situation and it wasn’t only her life on the line.  
She texted him again, trying not to look as anxious as she felt. It wasn’t like he needed to be here for this but she would feel a lot better if he were.  
When she didn’t receive an answer, again, she got a little worried and decided to call. It may have been stupid, may have been reckless, who knew what could have happened to him? He wouldn’t ignore her messages for no reason, so something else must be preventing him from answering. Hopefully Hector didn’t have a…

“Hey, you”,

“Oh, thank god” 

Jess mumbled to herself when Nacho finally answered her call, 

“What’s up?” 

He asked, sounding suspiciously sleepy, 

“What’s up? Are you serious?”

She wanted to sound stern but she couldn’t hide the smile,

“What’s up is… I was… ugh… I was gonna go off on you for not answering because you made me worry but I’m just glad you finally answered”,

She lightly kicked at the dirt beneath her feet in embarrassment and heard Nacho chuckle at the other end of the line, 

“You going soft on me?”,

“Oh, fuck off…”

That also didn’t come out very convincing,

“Just kidding, don’t worry. I know who’s the boss of me…”

He actually managed to make her blush, sounding all rough with his sleepy voice, 

“Good boy” 

She said, 

“Anyway… I need you to come to the address I sent you, don’t make us wait”,

“All right, I’ll leave now”

They hung up and Jess turned around to walk back to the other participants of tonight’s meeting. The four men waited patiently for her to enter their circle again, 

“The pup coming?”

Mike asked, his rough voice void of any emotion, as usual. Jess nodded, 

“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, I know your time is precious. I don’t want to take up more of it than is needed” 

Jess addressed the man standing opposite her

“It’s no problem, we can wait a little while longer”,

“Thank you, Mr Fring, I’m sure he’ll be here any minute” 

The guy gave her the creeps. He seemed too polite and too composed. Too in control. But she guessed, that for his level of involvement with the Cartel, one must be able to ooze confidence and execute control in every possible situation. She thought she was in deep with them, literally having been in cahoots with them for years and years. Fring was a whole other level of involved with Hector and the rest of the Dons.  
The time seemed to be standing still, while they waited for Nacho to arrive and Jess grew more impatient by the minute. The two goons Fring had brought didn’t make it easier for her to be around him. They were even more unsettling than ponytail.  
Mike was busy checking something on that flip phone of his, while Fring whispered to one of his men and the guy nodded and retreated to somewhere Jess couldn’t see. The meeting place was not exactly to her liking; an open industrial site with a few warehouses around. Not suspicious at all, she thought, but she didn’t have a say in the matter, since Fring picked this place especially for this meeting.  
When she idly tapped her foot on the ground, a car rolled onto the property and she recognised it instantly. She let out a relieved sigh and turned around to greet Nacho, who stepped out of the vehicle. He looked a little lost,

“Sorry for earlier, I fell asleep instantly after Hector let me go for the day” 

He said and she wanted to reach out and take his hand, but they both knew better than to engage in even the slightest PDA in front of the assembled group. She opted for a simple nod and Nacho reciprocated it,

“It seems we are complete, am I correct?”,

“Yes, Mr Fring”

Jess answered and they started to walk towards the warehouse right behind them, 

“Please…”

Fring said, reaching for the handle on the door, 

“Call me Gus” 

Jess felt a shiver run down her spine.


	21. Bang Bang, into the Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arturo has bad timing.  
> I really don't like that guy.  
> Enjoy!

“So, if I understand correctly, you and your associate wish to cut ties with the Salamancas and the rest of the Cartel?”

Fring repeated what Jess had told him a few seconds ago, 

“You understand correctly, Gus”

His face was a stony façade not depicting even the slightest emotion. He was like a perfect impression of a human but someone forgot to add all the things that make a human… human,

“And it seems I am to be part of the escape plan, then?”,

“Also correct”,

He was quiet for a second, seemed to be contemplating what has been said, when suddenly a loud bang against the outer wall of the warehouse made everyone jump,

“The hell…”

Mike gruntled and pulled a gun from his belt while he stalked towards the door. Shortly before he reached it, it flew open to reveal Arturo tightly locked in the grip of Gus’ man, who left the scene earlier. Gus seemed just as surprised as Jess and Nacho to see the two men stumble through the door. Mike stepped aside to let the guy drag Arturo in the room, 

“I found him eavesdropping outside, thought I’d introduce him, since he seemed so interested” 

Gus’ man pushed Arturo forward until the man’s hips bumped into the table in the middle of the office room and he was bent over the table,

“What is the meaning of this?” 

Gus didn’t let it show but he sure was a little surprised.   
Nacho’s eyes went wide and he took deep breaths to try and calm himself down before he looked suspicious. Arturo looked at him, furious and confused, writhing against the tight grip of the man holding him, 

“You fucking traitor!”

He yelled at him and tried to free himself but it only earned him a knock to the head with the butt of a gun. Mike placed it in the holster on his belt after he knocked Arturo out and looked at both Gus and Jess, 

“Shit…” 

Nacho mumbled and looked at Jess, 

“He fucking sent this guy after you?” 

She asked him, meaning Hector by that, 

“I had no clue, I swear!” 

Nacho immediately turned to her and Jess held a finger up to her lips, to quiet him down, 

“We should have guessed something like this would happen… can you get me his phone?” 

She asked Gus’ man and Gus nodded to him to search Arturo, handing Jess the device after he secured it from Arturo’s unconscious form, 

“We need to make sure Hector doesn’t smell anything suspicious…”

She mumbled while digging through Arturo’s phone. Hector had already sent a message requesting an update but luckily Arturo wasn’t in any shape to answer, so Jess took it upon herself to avert suspicion by texting him herself. Gus had been quiet and Jess was sure that wasn’t a good sign. She wiped the phone and planted it back on Arturo.   
Gus’ second man was on high alert now and Mike was ready to pounce as well. She knew Mike and he knew she would never intentionally do anything or involve anyone who could jeopardize an operation like that. But Mike was also bound by duty since clearly Gus was the more powerful of the two and he could do a lot more damage in Mike’s life than Jess. She needed to tread carefully now.   
A deep breath and a second to collect her thoughts later an idea crept into the back of her mind and she tapped her bottom lip with her thumb, 

“We can use this” 

She said and Gus’ attention was back on her, 

“Use this? How do you propose we do that?”,

“Hector doesn’t know what happened and he doesn’t know Arturo was caught… and I know that he’s been trying to smooth things over again with the Espinosas”   
She threw Nacho a side glance and he shouldn’t be surprised she knew what Hector had him do today and where he had him go to, 

“What if… we used that?”

She said and let the men around her grind the gears in their heads for a second, 

“You’re right”

Nacho said and took a step forward in her direction, 

“We had trouble with them before”,

“What if we make it look like they weren’t satisfied with the agreement and they caught Arturo off guard while he was supposed to be watching you…?” 

Jess continued his sentence and looked at Mike and Gus, who seemed to be amenable to the idea, 

“That might even work…” 

Mike said to Gus, who had retained his posture during all of this,

“You realise that, in order for this plan to be safe, your associate can’t be found in a condition that would allow him to tell a different story…”

Gus said matter-of-factly and Jess nodded. Frankly, even if it hadn’t come to this today, she probably would have taken care of Arturo one day, one way or another. She directed her attention back to Nacho, whom she knew to have a slightly closer relationship with Arturo,

“No doubt about that…”   
Nacho agreed, his gaze trained on the unconscious man on the table, while Gus continued to speak, 

“And you also realize that we need someone else to tell the story we just agreed to work with” 

He slightly raised his eyebrows at Jess and she understood what Gus was hinting at. She took a deep breath and pulled Nacho back to stand next to her, 

“I need you to text Arturo, ask him to have a drink, something that would make him come meet you away from your place. Maybe that bar you always hang out” 

Nacho followed her request and sent a text to Arturo, who’s phone went off right after that, 

“We take his car to the bar, you take yours and they stay there while…” 

Jess stopped and closed her eyes for a second; she knew it had to happen that way, 

“While we ditch both of you somewhere outside the city, it needs to look as real as possible”

Nacho followed the conversation up to that point but then he suddenly couldn’t really follow anymore, 

“Both of us, what…?”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, 

“Gun” 

Jess held her hand out to Mike who took a deep breath while looking at Gus,   
“Do it” 

He said nonchalantly and Mike complied, handing Jess the gun, 

“Fuck, I’ve always hated this guy” 

Jess said while cocking the gun, 

“Jess, are you sure you want to…” 

Nacho’s concern was cute but really out of place, and before he could act all protective and convince the lady to look away, a loud bang echoed through the room and Arturo’s brains were scattered on the table.   
Nacho had to look twice to register what happened, 

“Fuck me…”

He mumbled when Jess handed the gun back to Mike and took in the gory mess before her. She exhaled loudly and let her head fall back, 

“Jeez, that felt good”, 

“So now what?”, 

She walked up to Nacho, 

“Now we pack up this mess, take the cars and get the fuck out of here” 

She said and turned around to leave through the door, leaving the men to watch her leave, 

“She sure knows how to make an exit”  
Mike commented and Gus raised his brows slightly in agreement.


	22. Street Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short update for y'all, we're buildig up to the end.  
> Thanks for bearing with me!

When Nacho entered the car with Jess, he felt like something in the air between them shifted. The thought of Arturo’s lifeless, and headless, body in his car, that was currently being commandeered by Gus’ henchman, didn’t help his mindset whatsoever.   
Somehow, he knew this wasn’t the kind of trip they would both return from unharmed; he just couldn’t wrap his head around it yet. Jess was quiet up until the point Nacho steered his car into the parking lot of the bar and killed the engine.   
She leaned over the console and cupped his face in her hands, turning him to face her, 

“I know this isn’t the ideal way to handle the situation… I hoped we could avoid bloodshed” 

She said and Nacho tried to smile, 

“Not gonna lie, though, I’m glad it was his head I got to blow off, not one of the others”

Nacho took her hands in his and dropped them into his lap before he took a deep breath, 

“You know that I’m really going out on a limb by trusting you like this, right?” 

He asked Jess and she nodded slowly, careful not to break eye contact, 

“I’m usually so careful and prepared but with you… this shit is out of my league” 

He hoped she couldn’t see the uncertainty in his eyes and feel how anxious he was because he could definitely feel his hands grow damp at the thought of what was to come, 

“I promise you, this is going to work. I know Fring isn’t anymore trustworthy than Hector but between the both of them, he’s the lesser evil right now”

Nacho wanted to believe her, wanted to feel as confident in these people as she did and yet doubt kept creeping into the back of his mind,

“Jess?”,

“Hm?”

Instead of saying anything else, he gently pulled her into him and after a bit of awkward shuffling over the gearshift she was sitting in his lap and he slung his arms around her middle. Now she could definitely tell he was nervous.   
It didn’t matter, she needed to be the strong one.   
She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. A kiss meant to soothe, calm and reassure him. It only made Nacho feel more desperate. More desperate to finally be free of all this and to finally be able to live his life away from the business, the drugs, the violence, lies and deceit. Away from Tuco, Hector and the rest of the fucking Salamancas and the Cartel.   
He felt Jess pull away slowly but he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.   
One more kiss, just one more, please, a little more time, don’t let go.

Suddenly the door opened and he felt the warmth of her body leave his embrace.   
It was time to continue with the plan and he needed to get out of the car and focus.


	23. High and Dry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end is nigh people. Nacho needs to do some things he never thought he'd need to.

The cool breeze of the night air calmed his roused nerves a little and he took a deep breath before he continued with the next step of the plan: Go inside the run-down bar, show his face, maybe get a drink, then pretend to get a call and step outside.   
The call would be made from Arturo’s cell and it will be essential. Thus, it will need to look real.   
Jess, Mike and Gus would make sure Arturo’s car would be found in the parking lot and Fring’s henchman would take care of the ugly part of the plan and drive out into the desert with Nacho and what was left of Arturo. Make sure they would be found, too.   
Nacho straightened his back and took one last look at Jess’ face, committing it to memory; should anything go wrong in the slightest, he would at least have a picture of her burned into his mind. She seemed to be holding up well. She looked composed and ready for anything that would be thrown their way. He would never admit to the others what he admitted to her in the car but it was true nonetheless: that he was so glad he wasn’t the one with all the responsibility weighing on his shoulders,

“Go on, pup, do your part” 

Mike said unceremoniously and Nacho knew he couldn’t stall any longer. He turned around quickly and made his way to the building.   
Thick air reeking of smoke, weed, alcohol and sweat greeted him as he entered and made his way over to the bar on the opposite side of the large room. The windows in this place were darkened and only sporadically placed lights allowed the patrons to navigate their way around. Nacho knew this place like the back of his hand, so he didn’t have any problems finding his way to the edge of the bar and taking a seat on of the high stools placed in front of it.   
The bartender placed a drink in front of him and Nacho immediately took a large sip from it. He knew nothing would happen to him in here yet he couldn’t refrain from taking a nervous glance around the room to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. He also knew he should keep his cool because he was technically supposed to meet a colleague here.   
A few minutes passed and Nacho let himself get a little comfortable while he nursed his drink and waited for the call to come. He checked his phone a couple of times, too.   
The drink was half gone by the time the phone rang and he saw Arturo’s name of the screen. He picked it up like he would have, were it really him calling,

“What do you want?”

He asked, not really expecting an answer, since this was supposed to be just a detail in the plan, 

“Hey, it’s me”

Jess’ voice rang through the line and Nacho stilled for a second, 

“You still good to go?”

She asked and he nodded until he remembered she couldn’t actually see him, 

“Yeah, yeah” 

He ran a hand over his face, 

“Ok, good, you’re doing so well, baby, but I need you to listen now, ok?”

The soothing tone of her voice kept Nacho from jumping off the stool, 

“Hmm”

He affirmed and waited for her instructions, 

“After I hang up, you’re gonna pay for your drink, get up and walk out, take your time, Arturo just told you to meet him in the parking lot, nothing more. You don’t know the Espinosa’s are forcing him to call and they are waiting for you to come outside, too, ok?”  
Nacho took a deep breath, 

“Ok, sure”,

“And Nacho?”,

“Yeah?”

“You know I…”,

“I know…”,

“I’ll see you, soon”,

“See you”

He wanted to say so much more but he couldn’t sound suspicious to anyone who was potentially listening. After he made sure to delete all evidence of Jess’ and his correspondence from his phone, he tucked it away again and waved the bartender over to pay and then he made his way outside.   
He casually walked over to Arturo’s car and saw Gus’ guy sitting in the backseat. He was waved over by him and told to sit in the driver’s seat. Nacho eyed the car up and down and resigned to whatever fate would find him.  
When he closed the door, the few seconds of silence that ensured, felt like an eternity, 

“Drive” 

He heard the man say from the backseat and the he started the car and drove off.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm still new here so please give me some feedback if you feel like it, I would love to know what you think! <3


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